Socket for electric lamps.



C. L. CASSIDY.

SOCKET FOR ELECTRIC LAMPS.

APPLICATION FILED PER. 28, 1914- 1, 14 48. Patented May 25, 1915.

nventor Attorneys.

all?

a citizen of the United States,

CHARLES L.

CASSIDY, F ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

SOCKET FOB ELECTRIC LAMPS.

ian-ace.

Specification of Letters Fatent.

Patented May 25, 1915.

Application filed February 28, 1914. Serial No. 821,815.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES L. CASSIDY, and a resident of Orange, countyof Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Sockets for Electric Lamps, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to sockets for use with incandescent electric lampsand my object is first, to make the shell of the socket out of asingle/piece, and thus avoid the usual joint in the shell; second, toprovide a socket in which the plug may be removed from the shell, andreplaced therein, without the necessity of feeding or withdrawing the\vire cab.le through the fixture tube; third, w lch' shall in additioncontain simple and effective means for retaining and looking the plug inposition within the shell; and fourth, to improve the shade supportingmeans. 7 These andother objects will more fully appear from thefollowing specification an accompanying drawings, considered together orseparately.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a cross-section of a socket embodying myinvention; the dotted lines represent the plug removed from the shell.Fig. 2 is a top View of the plug. Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly insection, of the plug, taken at right angles to the plug shown in Fig. 1.Fig. 4 is a bot tom view of the socket, with the plug in place; and Fig.is a view in perspective of the plug retaining means.

In all of the views, like parts are designated by the same referencecharacters.

The shell 1 is made preferably of sheet metal, and is shown for thepurposes of illustration as bell-like in shape. It is preferably made ina single piece, as shown.

its upper end it may be fastened in any suitable manner, to a neck 2, orthis neck may be made integral with the shell. The neck 2 is shown withinternal screw-threads, so

I that it may be attached to the ordinary fixture tube 3. The lower partof the shell 1 has a skirt 1. This skirt is preferably integrally formedon the shell.

Inside of the shell 1 is a plug 5. This plug is made of porcelain or'anyother suitable insulating material. It is of a size and shape adapted tofit within and only partly fill the shell, leaving a pocket 6 between itand the top of the shell. In this pocket lies has been the practice,

' which may be occupied by an electric .and is known as a key-socket.

a coil 7 of the electric wire cable 8. By providing this coil of excesswire the plug may be removed from theshell for inspection or forconnecting to the wire without disturb- 1ng the main cable by pulling itpartly through the fixture tube and obviates the necessity of feeding itback in the tube, as

when the plug is replaced in the shell. The lower part of the plug isillustrated as containing the ordinary type of fitting 9 employed withlamps hav ng an Edison base. If a lamp having a different type of baseis employed, the fitting will be correspondingly changed. The strands ofthe cable 8 are connected to the fitting 9'by binding posts 10. Theconnections and wires are placed in channels 11 f the plug and aremade'in the manner well known in the electric art.

The plug may, for the purpose of accessibillty, be made in two sections,as shown, the

two sections being held together by any suitable means, such as a screw12. A hollow space 13 is left between the two sections, switch in thattype of socket which employs a key The socket shown does not contain aswitch, but is controlled by a switch at some other point in thecircuit.

The plug is held in place in the shell in the following manner: In theskirt 4 are eyelets 1 1. These eyelets are riveted to the skirt andform'projections 15 on the inside of the skirt 1. The eyelets are alsoprovided with internal screw-threads to accommodate set screws 16 forholding a globe, or shade, in position. A. flexible ring 17 is providedwith holes 18, which register with the projections 15. The ring 17 isalso provided with inwardly projecting ears 19. Theseears are of a sizeand shape to correspond with and fit into notches 21 in the bottom faceof the plug. The engagement of the cars 19 and the notches 21 serve toprevent the plug from rotating when the ring 17 is in place. The earsare also preferably offset, as shown, to engage with an annular grooveon the bottom of the plug. -The annular groove 20 in the face of theplug is provided to accommodate the different sizes of flanges onlamp-shades, or globes, which are secured to the socket in the ordinarymannerby the set screw 16.

The socket is assembled in the following manner: When the shell issecured to the plug, and the latter will 15 will be in engagement withtwo of the openings 18. The 'side of the ring carrying the third openingis now flexed inward so that the opening passes over the projectionadjacent thereto when the ring will .be securely held in place. Theengagement of the ears- 19 with' the bottom face of the plug willeffectually prevent its removal and their engagement with the sides ofthe. notches 21 will prevent rotation of the plug.

To dismantle the'device the side of the ring at one of the projectionsis flexed inward until it is free from that projection,

' the ears isbeyond the edge of when it may be lifted formed by theskirt until the edge having the skirt. The ring may be removed bysliding -it diagonally from the socket. After the ring is removed, thesocket may be pulled out to the full length of the surplus'cable in thechamber when the socket can be removed by disengaging the posts.

' Around the edge of the recess carrying the wires from the bindingfitting 9 is a projecting annular rim 22 fiopie s of this patent may beobtained for which acts as aninsulating barrier between "the'metalfitting 9 and the ears 19 of the ring 17. Y

The arms 19' are preferably flexible to allow for variations in the sizeand shape of plugs. It is understood that the annular groove 20 whenomitted from the plug will permit the use of arms which are not off-set,as previously described. It is also to be understood that the improvedmeans for retaining and locking the plug in position may be embodied ina socket which does not possess the pocket 6, and vice versa, theinvention may be embodied in a socket which possesses the pocket, butwithout the improved means for retaining and locking the plug inposition.

From the foregoing descriptionit is apparent thatthe socket has a cupshaped of which the plug is inserted and secured in place, the shellbeing shell in the open end from the socket in one piece and entirelyinclos'ing the plug. The joint necessary in a two-piece shell isavoided. The support for the globe is integral with the shell, thusavoiding a separate fastening.

I claim:

1. In a socket for an electric lamp, the combination with an electriccable, of a metallic shell closed at one end and open at the other end,an insulating plug introducible into the open end of the shell to closethe opening, and having connecting means for the cable, said plugextending only part way to the closed end of the shell, leaving a spacefor a coil of the cable of sufficient length to permit the withdrawal ofthe plug to render the connecting means accessible and means forremovably securing the plug to the shell, and means for preventingrotation of the plug. v

2. In an electric lamp socket, the combi nation with an electric cable,of a shell, a plug partly filling the shell and leaving a space betweenit and the shell for a coil of ,theelectrlc cable, a ring engaging w1ththe plug and holding it in place, means-for securing the ring within theshell and means on the ring to prevent the plug from r0:

tating. I

' 3. In anelectric lamp socket, the combination with a shell witheyelets adjacent to the free end thereof, of a plug within the shell,said plug having notches in its exposed face, a ring having openingsadapted to engage with the eyelets, and having ears adaptedto engage thenotches of the face of the plug.

l. In an electric lamp socket, the combination with a shell with eyeletsadjacent to the free end thereof, of aplug within'thc shelhsaid plughaving notches in its exposed face, an annular groove adjacent to itsperiphery, a ring having openings adapted to engage with the eyelets,and ears adapted to engage with the notches on the face of the plug,said ears being offset to engage with the annular groove.

This specification signed and witnessed this 21st day of F ebruarv,1914.

CHARLES L. CASSIDY.

es I five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, 1

Washington, D. C.

